Study Group 18 Ruth Rittichier

Study Group 18
Ruth Rittichier

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January image - Rachael

How I did it - I was fascinated by the light reflecting on R's face from the Galaxy that she just received for Christmas. So I set ISO to 800 and took the image handheld, so flash wouldn't ruin the lighting. I ran the image through Topaz Simplify, and restored detail around the eyes and where needed. Then I used the Photoshop history brush, set to a Gaussian blur state, to smooth her face and areas where needed.

Original:

COMMENTS:

Laurie Thompson	This is a very pretty photo of a very pretty young woman. I do question the "Altered Reality" definition as it applies here.
Warren Davis	Vacation
Phillipa Frederiksen	The light has a really warm and feminine glow to it. Simplify has given her an ethereal feel. It might be good if you could smooth out her neck a bit more. The glow looks rather like the glow of an open fire…but perhaps she has one on the Galaxy!
Anna Goodchild	The very soft focus gives the image a very delicate finish. I have not tried Topaz or the Gausian blur so I do not know what it would have been like before. There is a sense of wonder in the subject which draws the viewer in to the subject. The colour in the composition ensures that your eye is drawn to all the elements & texture plays an important part in the composition.
Hillary Morin	Beautiful lighting and soft colours. I find her chest appears more 'painterly' as opposed to her face. Perhaps that area could be worked on. Lovely photo.
Peter Rowley	The handling of the original of this portrait is subtle and well done. The lighting and subject are beautiful, and the filter adds an appropriate softness to enhance that. I find the angular black of the bottom left a little distracting, if appropiate part of the picture (being the attention of the eyes). Perhaps the area tone could be changed to be a little textured or toned to be obvious but fitting.

Ruth Rittichier

Biography

I started photography with my parents' Kodak Brownie and used KODAK 616 film, when I was in high school. My girlfriend and I would process our negatives, and make contact prints in her parents' bathroom.

When I had my children, I took photos of them with their dad's 35mm camera, but never did much more until my older son grew up and gave me a Minolta X700 for Xmas. I then joined Toledo Camera Club and other camera clubs, working my way up until I was winning in the top categories.

I now belong to 3 local camera clubs, but am competing only in the digital print division, now that they have it, as I don't shoot film anymore. I joined PSA through the camera club, and was active in several of the circuits until PSA started these DI circuits, of which I am a charter member.

I love sitting at my computer and making original art out of one of my photos. Now I am learning Painter IX, to be able to make better art from my photos. I have a Nikon D-200 camera, a Windows HP computer with removable HD, and a 23 inch Apple Cinema monitor.

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